S2S receives presents at Anstr's party!

On a hot, humid night in Northern Virginia, at a celebration of life for a key VHTRC founder, with phenomenal food and terrific food, Shoes to Success continued to reap the generosity of VHTRC runners!

Thank you to Lucia and to the other unknown contributor (bag was found later at MMT, after Wendy left). 

At the rate we are going, we might be able to provide shoes for 1/5 of our students by the start of the year!  Extras will find their way to students in other schools or those with the greatest needs.

Thank you all for being part of the great cycle of compassion and transformation:  runners with shoes, students with needs, and Earth who breathes easier as shoes are recycled instead of trashed!

S2S heads to Laurel Highlands Ultra (6/12/2010)

Shoes to Success will be collecting shoes at Laurel Highlands Ultra on Saturday (and possibly Sunday), 12/13 June 2010.

If you are running of LH or know of someone who is, please consider encouraging the runner(s) to donate any shoes at the finish line.  They will be shoe-ported back to VA by Joanne (a previous S2S contributor and LH runner).

Thank you to Rick Freeman, LH RD, for his support of Shoes to Success!  In the small world of running and helping students, it was recently learned that Rick and Wendy graduated from the same high school many years apart.  Go Blackhawks! 

Best Wishes to all runners this weekend at Laurel Highlands and at all other runs and races!

Thanks Laura!

What can make 2 middle school teachers scream with delight when there are many full days of school remaining, many final exams to be taken and graded, and many events happening in both classrooms requiring immense flexibility and patience?

This!

8+ pairs of shoes for amazing students in need and a very kind note!

Muchas Gracias.

S2S's Contributors

Shoes to Success's contributors have historically been located in the Northern Virginia area.  Many are teachers at the school where Carol and Wendy teach, and others are relatives and friends of the teachers. 

A large majority of the shoes have been donated by runners affiliated with VHTRC (Virginia Happy Trails Running Club) which hosts three main races:  Bull Run Run 50 miler in April, Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 miler in May, and the Women's Half Marathon in September- along with a number of other "unofficial" races and runs on the fabulous trails of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

One of the trails on which many of the contributors' shoes have spent many hours running.

S2S's Shoe Journey

The journey of a pair of shoes donated to Shoes to Success goes something like this:

• Active person with enough money to pay for running shoes purchases a pair of shoes. 
• Same person runs in shoes for a period of time, often completing many long runs and/or races, and thoroughly enjoying the shoes (we hope!).
• Runner decides that the shoes are no longer in the excellent condition that they were in when they were purchased, but still have much life left in them.
• Runner may choose to hold onto the shoes for a period of time, wondering what to do with them, as many shoes hold many memories of wonderful times running.
• Runner somehow learns about Shoes to Success and the connection is made.
• Runner cleans the shoes and coordinates their delivery to Wendy.
• Wendy picks up shoes from a myriad of locations and takes them to Carol.
• Carol and Wendy work with the Guidance Department to coordinate the delivery of the shoes to the student in most need.
• Shoes are delivered in a respectful and encouraging meeting to a grateful student.

And so another pair of "still living" shoes allows another student in Northern Virginia to be a bit healthier and active.

S2S's Students

Shoes to Success's students come from a variety of backgrounds, and all share one common factor:  a need for shoes.  They are identified through many different avenues (teacher observation and meetings, guidance counselors, PE teacher meetings, administration, etc.) with the goal of supporting each student.

Many students have expressed comments such as, "my mom said I could get a new pair when she got her income tax refund."  Others have shared more personal details about the situation in which they currently live, and how it is impacting their life and health.

As the middle school years pose a unique set of developmental and peer realities, all shoe donations are given with the focus on maintaining the student's dignity at all times.

Each student's smile fuels the search for more shoes to help more students.

S2S's Origins and Beyond

Shoes to Success is the result of two middle school teachers recognizing the needs of their students while seeking the missing piece to support the health, wellness, and athletic endeavors of the students.

Carol (Health and Physical Education teacher) began the program which accepts donations of new and gently used athletic shoes which are then given to students whose parents are unable to afford them.  The students are selected with the support of the Guidance Department.

Wendy (Spanish teacher) learned of the program from a flier posted by Carol on the staff bulletin board, and then began to run with it-- literally.  Carol and Wendy held a school fundraiser to support the program as Wendy ran through Patagonia while the students tracked her progress by running around the gym. 

Wendy then began actively enlisting the support of the Northern Virginia running community for donations-- specifcally the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club with whom she volunteers.  As a result of Wendy's work, she was honored by the VHTRC with the James Moore Award in February 2010.  The award honors members for their "outstanding service to the community."

Shoes to Success gratefully accepts donations of clean, gently used (or "with life remaining") shoes from those who feel inclined to donate. Many contributors have stated that they have been "waiting to donate (their) shoes to a program like this."

Each pair of shoes allows a middle school student to take another forward step on his/her journey toward health, wellness, and athletic excellence.

For more information about donating, please click on the donations page.

Thank you, gracias, shokriya, cam on, blagodariya, spaas, tak, takk fyrir, Mulţumesc, 谢谢, shokrun, or kun, hvala, danke, dziękuję, asante, shnorhakalutiun, obrigado, grazie, spasibo, mahalo